An augmented reality combines real world attributes, such as physical position or movement, with computer-generated, often graphical, data. Together, the attributes and data form a user experience occurring in a virtualized space as influenced by real world inputs, typically co-occurring in real time. In general, augmented realities are presented through graphical user interfaces, which can also be supplemented with auditory cues, tactile feedback, and other computer outputs. Thus, the user is immersed into a virtual reality by feeding sensory data through the computer-generated data that changes in response to user actions.
Recently, the capabilities of mobile platforms, such as portable media players, personal data assistants (PDA), and mobile telephones, have grown to enable on-the-go generation of augmented realities. Users are no longer tied to desktop environments and the physical constraints imposed by having to remain in a relatively stationary position. Moreover, these platforms are increasingly being equipped with input capabilities extending beyond the immediate user interface. For instance, mobile telephones often incorporate built-in cameras and global positioning system (GPS) receivers, the latter of which enables the device to determine the user's physical location. Similarly, portable media players are beginning to incorporate motion sensors that sense directional device orientation.
For the most part, the extended capabilities of these devices have been limited to supplementing conventional user interface inputs, such as altering a screen display on a portable media player based on physical vertical or horizontal orientation of the player. Other devices act as remote data input sources. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,453,471 to Fukui et al. discloses a virtual-object management apparatus that associates and stores object information related to the shape and location of a virtual object, such as provided through a GPS receiver, with service information, which are sent to a stationary digital camera. The digital camera causes execution of an action, according to the service information, upon determining that the digital camera is itself disposed within an area defined inside a virtual object based on the object information. However, the service is triggered using location alone, which can be grossly inaccurate, and requires use of a digital camera that serves as a stationary point of reference.
Therefore, a need remains for an approach to combining extended mobile platform input capabilities with virtual reality outputs, which can engage the user in a fully three-dimensional augmented reality experience.